Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-05-27
sslsrf Rsabing.
STOP THE SHIP"

AN " &S AtA ltI inv
middle of December. and the rising
sind was whistling in the rigging aud
piping among the taut shrouds OF the
steamship Sandman. rs she plunged
through the atlantic surges, homewar
tor Liverpool.
The sloping decks we're silent and
deserted, save for the figure OF the Of
6cer on watch pacing slowly up and
lown before the beeIbonse, and lit
lie group Of saloon passengers clnster.
ID under the lee of the starboard life
poat on the quarter deck. There was
come hal. dozen of US all. Two fair
Canadians on their way to speud the
-nlidays in the sold country" couple
II young "subs. coming home on leave
rom their regiment IN Halifax; aud
.,ne other careless pleasure seeker.like
myself. returning from u visit to the
ar West. We bad been willing away
i've evening by singing gless and tell
iag stories. until the gusrtermaster
.riking Eve bells-ln50 o'clock
EARNED as ,ha. lights ~osld soon have
be pat out.
Not feeling inclined TO turn in. |
Ade nv merry eonp~n ions good night.
alelsei them Ian. .hingly down The
You ssVFn To have hscH "
time under the boat there, he said,
after fcw remark. upon the look OF
the weather and the speed ~e we're
running 81,
"Irs, aud we ended up ~l.h ghost
story. which Mr. Burton told about his
old grandmother .-ring the figure OF
her husband standing bcckoulng her
earnestly away from terrace Salk
which ran under brick fruit wall IN
the bail grounds She followed him.
and scarcely had she got cut "f danger
bef re II Tell With = crash just where
.he bal b,en walking but half - mo
ment before. Ills friend. Wysli. made
fun Il i, all. and then se 60 into ho,
discussion upon warnings aud srcoud
sight and the rest Of II.
And do,o believe IN such thing.
Not a bii." answered. promptly.
Such things. as y"u call them, never
appear to cool nersrd people IN every
day hfc, but ouly 10 tImld, scared and
nervous persons.
Il don't know that am not par
ticul-rly nervous. farcv; and Yet
queer thing happened to ne aboard
this ship not very long ago, and he
turned Ia glance al the swinging com.
pass al the mlzEen crosstree<. III YOU
care TO hear about 1t, III spin YOU the
unless you want 10 turn IN.
so he began his story, whilst the
cr"aking Of the s;,ctrr Io"AIng srars
alolt sounded like the moan If tr"u
blei spirits. and the swishlng Of the
water under The counter kept up a
mournful rhythm as he spoke as iol-
loG.:
I'VE left the Mersey th~ first week
in May, bound for Ncw York, with a
full ships saloon and steerags both
crowded and made quick run. for
she is fast boat, and the captain
never gives her chance OF getting far
off straight course.
I'VE were five days out, and that
evening some of the gentlemen had
got up u concert, which was II great
success, and every bodJ seemed in high
spirits at the prospect of the quickest
passage on record. OF course this was
before the Arizona, A laska and Etrurla
had astonished the world by the won
derous smart runs which they have
made. relieved Mr.. Jones at four
bells and took the bridge, remarklng
to him, as he turned to 60 down the
ladder, that il felt unc"mmonly cold
for the time of year. Its leaving Il
warm cabin makes you fell it, he said
wishing me a pleasant watch, and the
next nom, Mt was up there alone.
1T was "a pich- dark night, and a
thick veil OF blackness seemed to wrap
the ship from stem to stern. Thee
was no wind and the sea was quiet, the
sti lness only broken by the dull, reg
ular throbbing of the great engines as
the steadily drove her along. ] Iglanced
ahead and could barely distinguish the
wa'ch forward and then | turned aft
and s,w the dim form Of the officer in
charge of the deck leaning against the
port door of the wheel house.
"All was right, aud | began to pace
slowly across the ridge from side tc
side, watching the white lean Of the
phosphorescent water IS it raced past
ana trailed away into the dark ex.
panse behind us. remember think
ing what nutshell this powerful shiI
was there in the midst Of the bound
less ocean, and how but thin plat'
of iron was between the hundreds O